In your initial post you say you have left the computer switched on but it is frozen. Is that the state right now? If so you need to remove the left side panel and look at the fan on the motherboard to see if it is spinning. Perhaps this is as simple as the processor cooling fan quitting. The computer would quit to protect your CPU or processor from overheating. As you have a new computer on order perhaps we can assume this machine is a bit older. After checking the fan mentioned above switch off the computer, remove the power cord from the rear of the case and check the cooling fins underneath that fan. Are they full of dust and dirt? If so a can of compressed air will work wonders, be sure to place a finger on the fan to prevent it spinning wildly as you use the compressed air to remove all that crud. (Do this outside if it is particularly dirty, saves a lot of dusting afterwards) Your data is probably safe because the hard drive is probably still good to go. What ever happens you could use this as a wake up call and back up your data. Also if you have not already done it you should create a set of recovery disks - unless Dell provided them at purchase time of course.

The point I was trying to make was not that my own personal computers have all needed a lot of repairs. Although this last laptop certainly has, but that in general, a computer compared to a microwave oven let's say, is more likely to need service over five years of it's lifetime than the microwave. In other words, an extended warranty on a computer may be more useful than on other appliances. Tech support can be a very individual thing. Some people are very computer savvy, or they have a friend or family member who is. I have never had any close friends to help me work out an issue. When I first started on computers, I was having to call all the time to ask questions about how to do everything. Now they no longer cover you for software issues anyway. But you can't always rely on people in forums to help you work out a problem that is over your head, so for me, at least, tech support gives me peace of mind that I am not going to get stuck. As for breakage, yes, I did think of the fact that I use my computer at home most of the time, but it really isn't that much more to add that to the coverage. I don't use it at a desk though and am always carrying it and picking it up and putting it down, and really, you never if over the life of a machine your needs will change and you will want to be taking it out a lot. No, I don't abuse my computer, if anything I am too vigilant about being careful with it. Have never spilled anything even once on the keyboard in thirteen years. Or dropped a computer, etc. What has had to be replaced on my laptop were unprovoked hardware issues. adam

Hi Kudzu9, The next time you want the pictures to stay on the camera, simply copy them to the computer. The picture's were on the camera and I transfered 6 picture's from my camera to the computer. With this camera I can put a lock on them to keep from losing them by mistake. I always lock them in, but for some reason I over looked 2 pictures and forgot to put the lock on them. When I put them in the computer, 2 of them were not locked, had they been locked they would have stayed in the cameras memory card. There is nothing unique about it just because it is camera memory. I understand where you are coming from and you probably are more familiar with the digital camera than I am because when they first came out I didn't go out and purchase one right away, I was still using my old style camera. When I purchased my HP Printer I have never had a reason to use the slots for the memory card until now. For you it isn't unique because there are a lot more of them out there now. I am still learning about my camera and the software that came with it and as I learn I become more familiar with it too, it takes time but, I will eventually master how it works and if I run into a problem like I did this time, I trust that I can come here and get excellent help from you all. "Smiles" Thank you for your reply. Hi Owbist, Just happy to be of assistance Thirdfrt. Thank you and I appreciated the fact that you answered me so quickly with a great solution to my problem. It's nice to know that there are other ways to do things in case you have to go that way and I saved your information just in case I would have to go that way. When my 2 youngest grand children were just little tykes I could take well over 150 photos in an afternoon and evening. Many were garbage as I kept the camera on my knee clicking when they presented a suitable shot. I have two young grandchildren ages 8 and 3 years and I take a lot of pictures of them also but, if I don't like what I see I have the option to erase them at that moment and start over. Why save them if they aren't any good right? You must be well coordinated to be able to keep the camera on your knee, if that were me I would be dropping it and getting pictures of the ground instead of the kids. "LOL" Because of that I went out and bought a small tripod for the camera (it also takes videos)and that way I can get better shots or take a video if I want to. It helps. Thanks again for all of your help. thirdfrt!!!

Wow, there is a lot of good information here. Glad I posted with my problem, now I have something new to try out. Thanks owbist. ravencajun, thanks for the compliment but I only had the first half of it figured out and cboy came to the rescue and helped me with the last half of it. I can't take all the credit. "Smiles" Then zep516 came in catching the fact that System Restore wasn't working right and gave me great information on how to correct that. This was the first time that I've had problems with my desktop, but I have changed the backround on it before and I remembered that and I thought why not check it out and see if I could get it to change and that is when I discovered that the backround had been changed and all I had to do was to put it back like I had it, but then I didn't know how to get the icons back and that's when cboy posted the solution for me. If that ever happens to me again I will know exactly what to do. Thanks owbist for telling me how to move the icons down to the taskbar. I will try that on Wednesday, I will have more time to try it out then. thirdfrt!!!